Protein and Caloric Intake

Add some avacado to her diet, it has good fats and good added calories. If you aren't overally concerned then I wouldn't worry about it to much. Are you and dad on the slender side? If so she just may be petite.

Hey there! I have the skinniest little 12 month old girl and she too is very active. She has two older brothers that she out eats them combined at every meal. You may just want to chalk it up to a high metabolism - I wouldn't ignore the doc, they do know a thing or two, but like you said, take it with a grain of salt.

I do not focus on the specifics of calories but my rule is to do breakfast lunch and dinner with three snacks in between. I try to hit most of the food groups with every meal and make sure they eat at least some of each item. If you see your child eat, and you feel comfortable that she is getting enough then I wouldn't worry about it. Kids have this great thing in them where they eat what they need and call it a day unlike most adults.

Until two years they need full fat foods.
Whole milk etc, having said that if she is eating great and just active, I would not worry.
My son was the same way, but he was slowly going down on the growth chart, we ended up adding a pedisure a day because the doctor said to. Now he is staying on the curve line.
He is now almost 20 months and is eating more like a toddler, with eating like we do not feed him one day and eating close to nothing the next. But he is still just as active.
Go with your gut feeling and with how she is doing physically.
I know I did not answer the calorie question, but hopefully this still helps.

S.
mother to Kai
www.HomeWithKai.com

If she "eats like trooper", I'm surprised that her phsycian made any comment at all. As long as you're feeding her healthy foods, and she's gaining weight (at any rate of speed), she's fine.

All my children were lean, but ate healthy, and gained weight slowly and steadily.

Make sure that you never get in the habit of giving her juice or soda.

She sounds wonderful!

My friends daughter is 1 yr old and she is really skinny and eats like crazy. One thing that was suggested for her to do is that she could up her carb intake. One thing that I have found with my own son who is small for his age is that as long as they are showing signs of growth and that they are eating then there is not much worry. Every child is different. I think that doctors can put too much emphasis on weight sometimes. Just remember that your her mom and you know her best. If she is acting normal, eating, interacting and slowly growing up then I personally don't see much concern.
Take Care,
A.

I'm not sure "calories", but at 12 months, my son was getting 4-5 meals of milk a day, probably about 5 ounces each. Then snacks/meals of solids in between. I THINK that most of the calories come from breast or whole milk, so you can try to increase there, or with the good fats, like avocado (my son LOVES avocado and banana). If you think she is eating the right things, and still not gaining, you may want to ask the doctor for suggestions. Some might suggest adding formula or cereal to the milk, or some good fatty oils to foods. Good luck.

My son was the same way -- as soon as he started to get on the move crawling and walking he went from chunky to very thin. He was a very good eater as well and (fingers crossed) is still a good eater at 27 months. They just are so active they burn it off. Although now that his growth is slowing as he gets older, his weight has evened out. Your daughter may as well.

I think it's generally no big deal if they thin out for a while, but they do need he calories for growth. And it's nice "insurance" to have a little weight on them during cold and flu season.

As other folks, have mentioned, amp up the full fat foods. It's kind of a change of thought pattern because we adults have it so ingrained that it's good to avoid fat. But fat, even the "bad" kinds, is good for infants. Some high-calorie favorites of my son's were:

Avocado/banana mash (still one of his favorites).

Full fat smoothies (Brown Cow sells individual-sized cups of "Creamy Top" full-fat yogurt at Whole Foods, some Safeways, and some Targets).

Quiche made with cream (I had been making it with 1/2 & 1/2 for years, but switched to cream. And you can put in spinach or other veggies. You can freeze them in individual slices and have a well-rounded, quick breakfast or dinner.)

Mixing extra shredded cheese in his portions of casseroles and soups.

Peanut or almond butter, when your daughter is ready for it. (My son doesn't have any sensitivities or family history of food allergies -- so my ped. was OK with introducing nut butters at 12 months.)

Hi B.. I'm glad that you are taking your doc's advice with a grain of salt. As long as your little one is eating, happy, and active I wouldn't worry too much. I LOVED the book "Super Baby Food" for my daughter's first experiences with food up until she had lots of teeth. She goes over what babies need at what age and has lots of healthy food suggestions and recipes.